Here’s why screen legend Christopher Lee passed on playing Batman: The Animated Series’ Ra’s al Ghul. 1992 was a great year to be a fan of the Caped Crusader, thanks to the arrival of Tim Burton’s Batman Returns and Batman: The Animated Series. The former was somewhat controversial at the time, as despite being marketed towards family audiences, its dark tone and sexuality were considered unsuitable for younger viewers. Still, it’s a movie that’s aged very well, just like Batman: The Animated Series too.
Batman: The Animated Series was canceled in 1999 but it is considered a defining take on the character. While the show had its share of dud episodes, it also featured excellent casting – chiefly Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker – and writing. It approached its characters and stories with depth and even created beloved characters like Harley Quinn. Subsequent adaptations have swiped elements and inspiration from it, including Batman & Robin’s take on Mr. Freeze’s origin story and motives.
One of the innovations of Batman: The Animated Series was to treat the material in a relatively grounded way, and not talk down to its younger viewers. Performers like Hamill – who has many favorite Batman: TAS favorite episodes – Richard Moll, Arleen Sorkin, and many others gave the show’s villains a sense of inner-life too, as they weren’t just one-dimensional antagonists. This includes Batman: The Animated Series’ Ra’s al Ghul, a recurring villain who also forms a personal connection with Bruce Wayne/Batman. While David Warner eventually took the role, this was only after Christopher Lee passed on playing Batman: The Animated Series Ra’s al Ghul.
Ra’s al Ghul is both an intellectual and skilled swordfighter, making him a mental and physical match for the Caped Crusader. During an interview with Bleeding Cool, voice director Andrea Romano revealed that Christopher Lee – who played Dracula many times – was a performer she always regretted not being able to work with, stating “It wasn’t that [Lee] said no me because I did make him some offers, it’s just that we could never work the schedule out. He would have been an awesome Ras A Ghul.” While he would have been perfect casting, apparently the key reason Christopher Lee passed on Batman: The Animated Series‘ Ra’s al Ghul was a mix of schedule and the fact he was living in England at the time, which would have made it tricky for him to be a recurring guest star.
Other performers like Michael York were considered before The Omen’s David Warner signed on. For her part, Romano called Warner’s work as Ra’s al Ghul “stunning,” and the actor fully embodied all of the key qualities of the villain. It’s almost a surprise Tim Burton didn’t nab Christopher Lee for a role in his Batman movies, but sadly, the late, great thespian never played a role in the franchise after passing on Batman: The Animated Series Ra’s al Ghul.
